Is the clearance rule 10 feet here?

[Marc M]

I was under the assumption the clearance is 10 feet for this.

[Rick Hurst]

Is that a "swamp" cooler?

[Marc M]

Indeed it is.

[neal lewis]

B vent manufacturer Hart & Cooley installation instructions say 8 foot clearance reqired to a vertical wall. If the there is less than the 8 feet clearance, the vent must be raised 2 feet above the structure.

I don't know, does that qualify as a wall or structure?

[Jim Robinson]

That is a major air intake for the house, and you definitely don't want that vent located right next to it like that.

[neal lewis]

Jim, It's an air conditioning unit, not a "major air intake".

[Jim Luttrall]

Jim, It's an air conditioning unit, not a "major air intake".

Yep, it is a MAJOR fresh air intake, NOT an air conditioning unit.
Swamp cooler = evaporative cooler, not a refrigerated air unit.
You won't see these in more humid parts of the country, since it adds humidity to the air in order to lower the temperature.
The louvered panels you see in the picture are air inlet grills that usually have a wet straw mat behind it. Air is drawn through the mat and directly into the house displacing the warm air with cooler air.
Right, Jim (the other Jim:D )

[Jim Luttrall]

Try this for size.
Welcome To Home Energy Magazine Online (http://www.homeenergy.org/archive/hem.dis.anl.gov/eehem/96/960511.html)

[Jim Robinson]

It's a southwest thing. They are all over out here, not so much in NJ.

[Marc M]

Yea...EVERYTHING is weird in california!

[Rick Cantrell]

What kink of crazy world do you all live in; making the air MOVE humid.What happened to my smiley face?

[Jerry Peck]

Swamp Cooler (never seen one myself, but heard of them).

Is that why there is a hose bibb there?

Two things:

1) Yes, *I* would treat that as a "wall" next to the B vent, meaning it needs to be 8 feet away or 2 feet above it.

2) Being as that is a "swamp cooler", get it away from the air intake.

Nothing is flashed properly there either.

[Marc M]

Thats funny. Jerry, you make it sound like big foot. But I suppose you wouldnt have ever seen one in FLA, no shortage of humidity there.

[Jim Luttrall]

What kink of crazy world do you all live in; making the air MOVE humid.What happened to my smiley face?

My thoughts exactly concerning humidifiers installed up north (actually people from up north installing them in houses down south):D

[Jerry Peck]

Thats funny. Jerry, you make it sound like big foot.

Marc,

No, ... I saw ... big foot once ... :D

[Bob Harper]

B-vent would need to be 2 ft taller than the Swamp Thing and it needs a storm collar. While they're at it, they can remove all that combustible plastic roof cement from the B-vent.